The
President of the Republic, Salva Kiir Mayardit has extended New Year
wishes to all the citizens of the country. In his message to the people
of South Sudan as a free nation on Sunday, President Kiir called on the
South Sudanese to start the New Year by reflecting on their past to
inform the future. The message indicated that a new year brings new
hopes, challenges and new opportunities and that the people of the
country need to build a peaceful, prosperous, secure, and stable South
Sudan.

President Kiir said it
is unfortunate that as the country celebrates this new beginning, there
are still tribal conflicts going on due to cattle rustling, pinpointing
the current conflict in Jonglei state between the Lou Nuer and the Murle
tribes.

According to the
message of President Kiir, the senseless behaviour of raiding each
other’s cattle can no longer be tolerated and should stop with immediate
effect. The message puts it plainly that the cattle are a national
resource, culture and pride and should therefore not be turned into a
curse resource.

President Salva Kiir Mayardit.

President Kiir called upon the youth of Lou Nuer who are currently
occupying Murle villages claiming they are perusing their stolen cattle,
abducted children and women to leave the Murle villages and return to
the Lou Nuer villages urging that the Government must be the one to
pursue the stolen cattle, abducted children and women. He also called
on the Murle tribe to desist themselves from the culture of stealing
cattle and abducting children and women of their neighbours and ensure
that the cattle they had taken and the children and women they abducted
are returned to joint their families.

The President strongly directs the Lou Nuer to move out from the Murle
villages and has equally ordered the Sudan People’s Liberation Army
(SPLA) to move in and protect the civilians. He also warned politicians
and community leaders encouraging this lawlessness act through cattle
rustling to stop. President Kiir was blunt that any politician or
community leader whose statement would be construed as encouraging
ethnic hostility will be made accountable.

President Kiir called on the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and the
United Nations to work hand in hand to enhance the humanitarian
assistance and to cooperate with the state and national authorities in
facilitating the return of the abducted children and women back to their
families and ensure that the stolen cattle are also returned to their
rightful owners.